what-is-new-daily-persisten : Symptoms, Causes, Treatment & Prevention

New daily persistent headache (NDPH) is one of the important headache entities under the category of chronic daily headache. This is the group of primary headache disorders that also includes chronic migraine, chronic tension-type headache, and hemicrania continua. Only recently has NDPH been recognized as a distinct entity by headache specialists.

What are the symptoms of new daily persistent headache?

The pain of NDPH becomes steady within 24 hours of its start. It may feel similar to a tension or migraine headache.

You may have pain on both sides of your head. At the same time, you may be sensitive to light or sound.

Most headaches are throbbing in nature. But they can come on as a stabbing, aching, tightening, or burning pain.”

There are other serious causes of head pain that can lead to a sudden headache. Your doctor may order imaging tests such as an MRI or a CT scan to rule out conditions that may need immediate treatment. These include:

• A change in pressure or volume of fluid in your spine. This can sometimes be due to procedures such as a lumbar puncture, or "spinal tap."
• Meningitis. An infection that causes swelling of the membrane that covers the brain and spinal cord.
• Head injury. A blow to the head can trigger a sudden, severe, and persistent headache. It can also cause an area of bleeding on the brain, known as subdural and epidural hematoma, that can trigger head pain.
• Blood clots. Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis is a condition where blood clots form near the brain, causing chronic head pain and other dangerous complications.

What are the treatments for New Daily Persistent Headaches?

Your doctor will probably recommend medicine to ease your pain.

Treatment may include:-

• Antiseizure, or anticonvulsant, drugs.
• Muscle relaxant drugs.
• Antidepressants called SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors)
• Tricyclic antidepressants.
• Migraine drugs called triptans.
• NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs)

Physical therapy may also help ease the pain of NDPH. For some people, NDPH may persist for several years or longer; for others, it may go away much earlier. Researchers continue to look for new and better ways to treat it.